Thought Leadership

A burning issue: Calculating the cost of the haze

Sep 23, 2019

Together with his NUS colleagues, Prof Sumit Agarwal, Managing Director of SGFIN studied the financial impact of haze on Singapore, based on the risk avoidance behaviours by local residents and foreign travellers. To find an effective and lasting regional solution to the haze issue, he saw monetary incentive as the most powerful means to galvanize actions in changing behaviours. Studies; like the NUS study; which quantified the real economic cost of haze serve as a useful aid for governments and policymakers to justify using public funding for preventive and protective measures against the haze.

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What is sustainability reporting?

Sep 22, 2019

In the financial quotient series, Assoc Prof Zhang Weina, Deputy Director of SGFIN described the definition and three key aspects of sustainability reporting in Singapore context.

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What is social return on investment?

Jul 7, 2019

In the financial quotient series, Assoc Prof Zhang Weina, Deputy Director of SGFIN and Ruth Tan discussed in detail what was social return on investment (SROI) and how it could be useful to evaluate the non-monetary impact generated by social/environment projects and activities.

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Air quality affects productivity: study

May 14, 2019

Through this research study on the productivity level of a group of taxi drivers when air quality worsened, Prof Sumit Agarwal, Managing Director of SGFIN cautioned on the wider detrimental effects of lower productivity not only on the personal health, but also the economy at large.

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Can firms do well by doing good?

Dec 13, 2018

Assoc Prof Zhang Weina, Deputy Director of SGFIN commented on the principles, benefits and practices of companies that were active in doing good.

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What are green bonds?

Aug 5, 2018

In the financial quotient series, Assoc Prof Zhang Weina, Deputy Director of SGFIN explained that a green bond was a sustainable investment vehicle that provided investors with financial returns and an opportunity to be environmentally responsible.

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Bike-sharing: Balance between regulation, supporting innovation

Jul 14, 2018

Bike sharing offers an innovative solution to the pollution and congestion problems facing urban cities around the world. Prof Sumit Agarwal, Managing Director of SGFIN reasoned that where a particular innovation could generate many positive externalities, regulators should support and manage its development and progress, as well as its wider impact. He argued the careful need to consider how regulation and innovation could work together to better support Singapore’s drive to encourage and nurture innovators.

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What is impact investing?

May 20, 2018

In the financial quotient series, Assoc Prof Zhang Weina, Deputy Director of SGFIN explained that impact investing was an alternative but important consideration for investors who cared about environmental and social impact of their capital investment.

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When construction noise impacts electricity consumption

Apr 20, 2018

In a NUS study investigating electricity consumption of households involving 5,300 HDB blocks, Prof Sumit Agarwal, Managing Director of SGFIN shed light that the increased consumption of electricity by households near the sites to shield from noise pollution continued to be so even after construction had ended. Given the potential astronomical consumption involved when over one million HDB flats and many construction activities were factored in, he recommended real time data feeds to households on usage and cost to induce a change of behaviour away from the persistent habit of consuming electricity for ventilation comfort.

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Commentary: Beyond price hikes and conservation campaigns, saving water through smart showers

Mar 27, 2018

In this international research collaboration involving NUS to study how households’ shower water usage behaviour could be improved for water conservation, Prof Sumit Agarwal, Managing Director of SGFIN shared findings on how offering real data to households could promote awareness in water conservation, by getting them to set personal targets and giving them feedback on their usage performances as the means to persuade lower water consumption.

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